ARLINGTON, Va. -- The U.S. Air Force has selected Lockheed Martin to build 22 GPS III Follow-On (GPS IIIF) satellites. The Air Force officially announced the selection on September 14, saying that it will award the aerospace company up to $7.2 billion to build the satellites. The first GPS IIIF satellite is expected to be available for launch in 2026.
Lockheed Martin is the prime contractor for the first batch of 10 GPS III satellites. However, the Air Force decided to open a tender for the remaining 22 satellites in the hopes of reducing costs and increasing delivery speed. In May 2016, the Air Force awarded production feasibility assessment contracts with Lockheed Martin, Boeing, and Northrop Grumman
While the Air Force hoped to select one of the three to eventually build 22 satellites, Boeing and Northrop Grumman ultimately dropped out of the competition, leaving Lockheed Martin as the only company to officially submit a proposal in April 2018.
Lockheed Martin will introduce new capabilities to the GPS IIIF satellites. Each satellite will feature improved anti-jam support, a fully digital navigation payload, a laser retro-reflector array to improve positioning, and a new search and rescue payload.
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